2025 PDC World Darts Championship Predictions and Betting Tips

2025 PDC World Darts Championship Preview

The biggest tournament in darts gets underway on Sunday, 15th December. Thousands of fans will gather to watch the action at the world-famous Alexandra Palace for the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship. There is an eye-watering £2.5 million up for grabs as 96 players compete for the richest prize in darts. 

2024 was arguably the biggest year of all time for darts. The ‘Littler Effect’ was in full swing as viewership records were smashed. Luke Humphries improved even further to assert himself as one of the most talented players on the world stage. The darting landscape has never been so healthy with the level of competition reaching a new ceiling. 

All of that means we are set for one of the greatest World Championship tournaments ever. But can Humphries defend his title, and if not, who can reach the summit? Look no further than Novibet for World Darts Championship predictions and all the information you need for the most wonderful time of the year!

When does the 2025 World Darts Championship Start?

Day one of the first-round fixtures begins on Sunday, 15th December. Thibault Tricole and Joe Comito kick things off at 7:15 pm GMT, followed by Jermaine Wattimena vs Stefan Bellmont and Kim Huybrechts vs Keane Barry. Defending champion Luke Humphries will finish the night against the winner of the opener in game one of the second round. 

The first and second rounds last until December 23rd before we return from the Christmas break on the 27th. The third and fourth rounds and the quarter and semi-finals are through to January 2nd before we reach the final on January 3rd at 8:00 pm GMT.

World Darts Championship Format and Qualification 2025

The World Darts Championship is a straight-knockout tournament featuring 96 competitors. What sets the tournament apart from most PDC majors is the format. This competition uses a system similar to tennis where players must win sets to win a match.

For example, in the World Matchplay, matches are settled by the best of 19 legs in the first round, with each game adding one leg to a player’s total. In the World Championship, players must win three legs before they win a set. 

• Round one and two: Best of five sets (sudden death leg if tied at 5-5).
• Round three and four: Best of seven sets.
• Quarter-finals: Best of nine sets.
• Semi-finals: Best of 11 sets.
• Final: Best of 13 sets.

Qualification

The top 32 players in the PDC Order of Merit automatically qualify for the tournament and are seeded through to the second round. They are followed by the top 32 players in the Pro Tour Order of Merit who are yet to qualify. Finally, 32 players enter the fray via international qualifiers. 64 will play in the first round and the top 32 ranked players will meet the winners in round two. 

Luke Humphries is defending his championship and enters the tournament as the top seed. He has the honour of opening the second round on day one of the tournament. Many still talk about when Humphries defeated Luke Littler in the 2024 final, but where does The Nuke come in? Littler enters his first World Championship as a seeded player, climbing up to fourth this year after his Premier League, World Series, and Grand Slam triumphs. 

Young Irishman Keane Barry will play in the first round after qualifying through the PDC Development Tour series, as will Borrisokane man Dylan Slevin. Slevin will clash with Irish No. 1 William O’Connor in the first round, ranked 48th in the Order of Merit. Noa-Lynn van Leuven will make her debut in the tournament and is one of two female entrants, along with Fallon Sherrock. Sherrock is the only woman to have ever won a game at the PDC World Championship and could be set for a blockbuster clash with Littler in the second round.

Several Northern Irish players will enter as seeds in the second round. Josh Rock had an impressive 2024 and the young County Antrim man looks set for a big future. He enters as the Northern Irish number one, ranked 18th in the Order of Merit. Two-time quarter-finalists Daryl Gurney and Brendan Dolan will also compete as seeded players, ranked 26th and 30th respectively. 

World Darts Championship Predictions and Betting Tips

World Darts Championship Prediction: Luke Littler to win

There are two clear front runners for this year’s World Darts Championship. Luke Littler and Luke Humphries have been at the forefront of the sport for the calendar year since their clash in the 2024 final. The two Englishmen have won three PDC majors each (or ‘Premier Events’) in 2024 and have clashed in three finals, including the Worlds’ in January. 

Humphries enters as the top seed, but Littler’s form in the months leading up to the tournament has been incredible. His performance against Martin Lukeman in the Grand Slam final in November showed just how high his peak is. The Nuke defeated Martin Lukeman, winning an incredible 15 legs in a row to claim his first-ranking PDC Major Title with a 16-4 victory. Furthermore, he and Humphries play on the same side of the draw, meaning they will avoid each other in the final and could clash in the semis. Even at 17, Littler’s time is now. 

Both men will be making deep runs in the tournament. Humphries enters as the defending champion and comes off the best season of his career. However, Littler might have his number this time around. Our darts prediction is for Luke Littler to win the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship. He is the favourite at 9/5 with our online bookmaker.

Another player that cannot be ruled out is Michael van Gerwen. The Dutchman is majorless in 2024 but sits at No. 3 in the Order of Merit. MVG is the second most decorated player in PDC history. He is also one of just two men to have won more than two World Championships. His injuries have prevented him from competing as he would like to this year, but Mighty Mike can still turn on the class on the biggest stage in darts. Michael van Gerwen is worth 9/1 to win the World Darts Championship.

2025 PDC World Darts Championship Dark Horses

The beauty of the World Championship is that anything can happen. Luke Littler reached the final last year, shocking the entire world of darts. In 2018, Rob Cross lifted the Sid Waddell Memorial Trophy in his debut appearance in the tournament by defeating the greatest of all time, Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor. The competitive landscape of darts is so vast in 2024 that even the underdogs aren’t underdogs. This year, there are plenty who can play spoiler.

Gary Anderson had an excellent year on the tour. If there was an award for comeback player of the year, The Flying Scotsman would win it by a landslide. The two-time world champion climbed up as high as 13th in the Order of Merit with £440k in winnings. That is an incredible jump from 2022 when he dropped as low as 37th with just £75k in earnings. 

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His European Tour form has been nothing short of remarkable. He has also claimed wins over the likes of Michael van Gerwen, Michael Smith, and Stephen Bunting in major tournaments this year. The Scotsman has one of the highest averages on the tour and looks back to his best. Anderson is our dark horse for the Worlds’, worth 9/1 in the World Darts Championship betting.

Mike De Decker burst onto the scene in 2024, taking a title from the world number one. The Real Deal entered the World Grand Prix as an outsider but took the bull by the horns. He stormed through to the final with impressive victories over Damon Heta, Gary Anderson, James Wade, and Dimitri van den Bergh before meeting Humphries in the final. The Belgian overcame the odds to defeat ‘Cool Hand’ 6-4 for his first-ever major title and snatch the trophy the World Champion had lifted a year earlier. The Real Deal is worth 22/1 in the darts betting markets to win the tournament. Alternatively, you can back him to reach the final at 10/1.

First Round Betting Tips

Kim Huybrechts and Keane Barry will have a competitive clash on day one of the tournament. They are ranked 41st and 52nd in the Order of Merit, respectively, and Barry enjoyed one of his most successful years on the tour since picking up his card in 2021. Dynamite will push Huybrechts and may even snatch a tight victory. Bet on Kim Huybrechts vs Keane Barry to go over 3.5 sets, worth 17/20.

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Wessel Nijman is out for redemption at the World Championship after cruelly exiting the Group Stages of the Grand Slam in November. The young Dutchman finished all three of his group matches with a higher average than his opponent, ending the tournament with an incredible 107.6 average. However, he failed to win a single match. Regardless, Nijman showcased his talent and proved there is a lot more to come. Bet on Nijman to hit over 3.5 180s in his first-round match with Cameron Carolissen.